1. Field Of The Invention
This invention relates to lead car systems for medium to large sized sailing yachts for adjusting the genoa lead block position under load, and more particularly to a track-to-track adaptor system to permit the addition of new and different tracks or car systems to be added to previously installed track for permitting a single lead car system to handle various sized genoa and jib head sails under various wind conditions.
The ability to adjust the genoa lead position under load is crucial for efficient sailing. By moving the lead forward, the genoa or jib head may be powered up when coming out of each tack, or when sailing through wind lulls. By shifting the car aft of its normal position, the genoa or jib sail may be depowered to maintain the yacht upright in heavy wind gusts.
Lead car systems have been developed for yachts which do not race but simply cruise. By having adjustable lead cars with roller reefing genoa systems as the genoa sail is reefed by rolling it up about the head stay, the lead car position must be moved to compensate for the reduced size of the sail.
Harken Yacht Fittings of Pewaukee, Wis., have developed a number of lead car systems to meet the size of the yacht and the nature of the sails being handled. Harken lead car systems are employed both to shift a sheave blocks longitudinally of the yacht on side tracks mounted to the deck adjacent to the opposite side rails of the yacht, or to control the position of a sheave block on an existing track transversely across the deck, cabin top or cockpit. Such Harken systems permit control lines to be carried by the lead car system, partially mounted on the lead car system short linked track, or on an adjacent area of the deck where such track is fixed. Alternatively, control lines may be extended back to the cockpit such that the crew can operate the lead car system without leaving the cockpit and from the high side of the yacht, changing on each tack. The Harken lead car systems are quite sophisticated. In Harken lead car system #3, individual cars are provided on side-by-side inboard and outboard, short length tracks fixed to the deck of the yacht and extending longitudinally of the yacht. In the Harken lead car system #4, four short length tracks are employed for the number 1, 2 and 3 genoas, as two sets of inboard and outboard tracks. A single adjuster tackle has a single adjusting control line led aft to a winch which moves all four cars. Common shock cords connected to multiple cars bias the cars to an aft-retracted position on the tracks.
The Harken lead car systems have developed to meet the needs, particularly of the blue water racing yachts, from the simple sheave block carried by a track slide as set forth in Barkley U.S. Pat. No. 2,453,357, issued Nov. 9, 1948. The principles of genoa and jib sail adjustment for varying wind direction conditions, wind speed conditions, and for different size yacht head sails have remained constant. The lead car or block systems developed to date, particularly those requiring multiple inside and outside tracks and separate cars, car system the most desired position for the lead car system sheave relative to the head sail employed under given wind conditions, which may be locked at that desired position along the existing deck track, which is relatively inexpensive, and which may be readily employed on yachts of various lengths.